Right now all Leafs fans are on the edge of their seats, waiting, with bated breath, full of anticipation, ready to find out...

...that the Leafs will indeed be using the St. Pats uniforms as their alternate jerseys for the three hundredth year in the row (give or take a couple hundred years).

I suppose I could just be happy that, unlike the Stars, whose recently revealed third jersey is their first since 2006, the Leafs actually do regularly use an alternate jersey, but instead I’m just going to use that announcement as an excuse to complain more about the Leafs!

I mean, look at that! I’m pretty sure I dislike it with an almost irrational intensity – it looks like a cross between a monster energy drink can and the general concept of a rave as envisioned by someone who’s never been to one – but it’s different. And not just because they haven’t done one of these since 2006. Maybe the goth look isn’t quite as unique as it might have once been – quite a few teams have done black sweaters recently, including teams like the Flyers and the Lightning – but it’s still far from the norm. And it borderline literally makes their original green glow.

I’m not saying the Leafs have to go with a black jersey (though if they do, I will buy one the second they drop), but it would be so, so nice to see them do something that isn’t the St. Pats jerseys or the Arenas jerseys. The Leafs have done a pretty ok job, overall, of balancing out the somewhat stodgy vibes that can come with a franchise as old and historic as they are with the more youthful energy of both the current roster and the city as a whole. This is one area though where they are still firmly rooted in tradition, to their detriment. Shake it up a bit! Live a little! And if it ends up truly, completely sucking, I promise I will make fun of it forever I won’t say a word.

Check out some of the other jerseys that have been revealed so far:

New and alternate NHL jerseys for the 2020-21 season

ICYMI

Kyle Dubas: Gambler
Looking at the less than 100%-guaranteed-returns decisions that Dubas has made recently.

Mac Hollowell has been loaned to Finnish team TUTO
The Leafs like to both draft European players and send their non-European players to Europe. Gotta cover all the bases.

From the Branches

Maple Leafs draft pick William Villeneuve is out to prove the doubters wrong
Learning more about one of the Leafs’ recent fourth round picks.

Partnership with NHL ‘only way forward’ for unified women’s league
Hayley Wickenheiser provides her perspective on the future of women’s hockey.

Some updates from Finland, where playing hockey in a pandemic is going great:

And finally, to soothe the soul and send you happily off into your Thursday, this:

From The Branches